Gopher-trap



J. F. STANKIEWICZ.

GOPHER TRAP.

AFPLICATION FILED JAN- 6. 1920.

1,35 1,35 1 Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. F. STANKIEWICZ.

v GOPHER TRAP.

APPLICATION HLED JAN. 6, 1920v I 1,351,351 I PatentedAllg. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' I/Vl/EA/TOR (IP15 FAN/WE W/CZ) A TTOR/VEYS UITED stars "JOSEPH. rnnnnnorr srANKIEwIoz; "or Brannon, onnGon.

GQPHER-TIR AP.

ToaZZ whom it may aomem; I V

Be it known; that I, Josnrrr 1 Fnnnnnorr STANKIEWIGZ, a "citizen of the United f States,

an'd'a rcsidentojfBandon, in the county of parts.

'mal going-into or out of'the burrow.

Another object is to provide a moleor gopher trap that may catch two animals simultaneously and that may catch the ani- VA further object is to provide a gopher trap with a trigger so arranged that upon attemptof the gopherto cover upthe runway in which the trapis set, thats'uch, 'act' of covering up releases the trigger. I

WVith these and other objects in view, my

invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of-parts as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of thedevice in unset condition;- 1 Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same with trap set; a Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

' Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line 44 of'Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspec triggers. v

In carrying my invention into effect, I provide a frame having transversely elongated horizontal loops at each end,the frame I and loops being made from a single piece of strap metal, the frame having one continuous side bar 8 and the opposite side being formed by bringing the ends 9 of the trap to the center bending at about a, right angle at 10 toward the continuous side bar and doublingthe extreme ends 11 back on the right angled part with "the folds lying against the continuous side bar; the doubled ive view ofone ofthe ends are then provided with a perforation in each in alinement to receive a bolt 12 by Specification of Letters Pat ent. 7 Padgettbed A110. Application filed" January 6, 1920'. serial N01 349,761., f

cifically set forth. 7 d

has pointed end 18- I which is designed to be'forced into-the earth" 4 fully set forth hereinafter;

n of'the trap as'will be more eii'io,

means of which the space between'the folded-- ends be regulated-and such boltals'o. serving as anchor for-, one' end 13' of 'an' actuating sprin 6.07 I

As before stated-theopposlte ends of-the trap consists of transverse loops 14, the; 1

\ loops being elongated to projectat each sideof the frame, the oflice of thesefiloops. being and guide for the chokerto' provide a' way rings 15." p

The choker ringsare made of very thin but strong wire, and have atgenerally annular contour sllghtly elonga'tedor oval shape, and open, the ends bent' intoleyes Y which swing in'eyes 17 formed in springf mechanism, which will now One spring member be *more speto hold the entire device in placeg'fromthe the spaced'apart en'dsof-the sidebar of the frame. and is then formed into a double coil,

19 at one side of theffraine, then extending I pointed end the member extends up between, 7

bent into -a'n eye-17 and downwardly then upwardly againfforming a loop '21 'an'dend I in in anothere e17 thedownwardl 'ex- Q a y a i y n ng 19 L OPS between thev eyesfha ing flexibly hung therein the detent rod 22 f for; thetrigger 23 of the trap; the wire-20 then extends 'back toward the center of; the frame at oppositesides and being coiled into a couple" 'ofQc'onvolutions- 19*? passes downwardly and is twisted a quartcrturn to form an eye 24 through' whichthe bolt, which holdsth'e inturned. ends of the frame,

passes; the spring is then from thi s quarter turned eye-coiled into a couple. of convoluf tions and then extendsto the OpPOSflDQ'BIiCl of the trap, where'it is fashionedinto the eyes 17 and'l? similar to the other side end of the trap and the loop 21 just as at the other end of the trap andreturning to the center of the frame isformed into a couple 7 a of coils and the end formed into a hook 13 which catches under one of-the inturned ends ofthe frame I H The triggers 23 (both being alike), consist .ofia single-piece of wire bent to form side bars havingv eyes at the upper ends 110 passing over the bolts 24 connecting the sides of the frame and continuing. forwardly and obliquely downward to form a loop 25 with I in which the detent 22 is held when the trap is set. The side bars of the trigger are spread outwardly toward their lower ends and then bent inwardly and upwardly forming a rigid loop 26, to which part bait may be applied.

To set the trap for use the choker bails carried at the outer ends of the spring mechanism, are forced downwardly through elongated guide loops 14- at the ends of the frame, and the pivotally hung detentbar 22 is swung beneath the bolt 27 connecting the sides of the frame immediatelyat the rear of the elongated loop just mentioned, and

the end of the detent seated in the looped tongue of the trigger.

lVith both ends ofthe trap thus pre pared, .itis put in place'where desired and held there agalnst movement by the splke or pointed end of the coiled spring, as be fore pointed out.

lViththe device thus set and placed, 1t will be seen that the mole: or gopher aproachin from either direction will I aass thro igh the choker bail and contacting the trigger will push it so that it will swingthe tongue from beneath the end of the detent .22 which will drop, and the coil springs then being free to'act will cause the choker bailto jump quickly up through the elongated loop at that end of the trap-and catch the gopher between the frame and thejump-up bail. s 7

It will .be'noted that by the use of thede- Vice as herein shown and described, that the trigger is so arranged that as soon .as. the

that holds the gopher is made of thin wire and nothing is likely to catch, whereas if there 1S too much surface exposed it has a tendency to retard the action ofthe springs. V

I, claim: 1. In a trap the combination with a Again it should be noted that the part frame comprising metal side bars and a laterally elongated guide loop at each end, spring mechanism held" in said frame centrally of said elongated loops, choker ring arms associated with the said spring mechanism and actuatedthereby, said arms extending from said spring mechanism: to the outer ends of said frame and above the elongated loops of the frame, choker rings loosely hung at the outer ends-of said arms and guidedly held in the elongated loops, a' detent supporting. loop at the outer end. ofsaid arms, a detent pivotal-1y hung to said detent supporting loop, triggers mounted between the side bars of the frame intermediate the laterallyelongated end loops and the central part of said frame, and

means for anchoring the trap against relative movement.

2. A. trap as herein characterized; comprising a longitudinally elongated metal frame having laterally elongated rigid loops at opposite ends thereof, coil springsmeehanism mounted on said frame cent-rally of said end loops, trigger mechanism sus pended from said frame between the endloops and the spring mechanism, choker bails carried. by said spring mechanism and passing. through said end loops, adetent hung within said choker bail and adapted to be held by said trigger-mechanism, and means for anchoring the entire trap in position. p I Y 3. A trap as herein characterized and consisting of a frame made of'strap metal side bars and integral. laterally elongated end loops at eachend, coiled spring: mechanism at the center of said frame, wire arms extending from. said spring mechanism in opposite directions, choker bails suspended from the outer endsof said arms and withinsaid laterally elongated end loops, detents also suspended" at the outer ends of said arms, and triggers pivotally mounted in said frame between the side bars thereof, said triggers i11clucling;a pendentframe and a tongue adapted to hold said detents when the trap is set, said trigger positioned between the elongated end loops and the central spring mechanism.

JOSEPH FREDREGH STANKl-EWICZ. 

